Leominster High stars ink college plans

LEOMINSTER -- For many high school athletes, the ultimate goal is earning the chance to move on and play at the next level.

For Leominster High football players Anthony Dandini and Dylan Tanner and track star John Gove, hard work in the classroom and on the field helped them get there.

The Leominster trio held a signing ceremony on Tuesday in the high school media center, where they all locked up their college commitments.

Gove is the only Division 1-bound athlete of the group, as he will attend Michigan State University in the fall to compete on the indoor and outdoor track teams. Scholarships are extremely thin for men's track at the college level, particularly for schools with football, but Gove will have a spot on the team despite not being a scholarship athlete.

The decision for Gove was academic first, and he was deciding between purely land grant colleges, which stem from a landmark federal policy in the 1860s that built agricultural and mechanical (engineering) colleges throughout the country in exchange for the sale of federal lands. He intends to major in horticulture, the study of plant-growing, which is a fundamental program in agricultural programs and land grant institutions.

Among the other schools Gove considered were Penn State, Cornell and Virginia Tech.

"I wasn't looking at schools for sports, necessarily," Gove said. "It was more about finding the right fit academically, because until last season I wasn't at that elite level yet.

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Once I found out I had a guaranteed spot on the Michigan State team, I decided to go there, especially since they gave me the most academic money. I only looked at large schools, which most land grant colleges are."

Horticultural is in Gove's blood, as his family owns Gove Farm in Leominster, known region-wide for its corn and other staples.

Many college students are unsure of their path heading into college, but a role in the family farm felt like a natural fit for Gove.

From l-r is Leominster High School seniors Anthony Dandini, Dylan Tanner and John Gove. Dandini will be going to Merrimack College to play football. Tanner will be going to Southern Connecticut State University to play Football as well. Gove is headed to Michigan State University to run track. SENTINEL & ENTERPRISE/JOHN LOVE

His summer job the last couple of years was managing a portion of the farm, growing cherry tomatoes and popcorn, and using the profits of his goods to pay for his car and save up for college.

Michigan State competes in the Big Ten Conference, which is not only one of the best athletic conferences in the country, but one of the most prestigious academically, particularly for its elite-level public schools. Gove will get the chance to compete against other strong track programs, including those from Ohio State, Michigan, Iowa Nebraska and the other members of the conference.

Gove has been without a track facility for both indoor and outdoor that is suitable for holding meets for his entire career. Michigan State will be a big improvement facility-wise.

"I'm looking forward to having a track at Michigan State," Gove said. "Leominster doesn't quite have those facilities yet. Once I have facilities and get a little more acquainted with my races, hopefully it will be good. They are just getting a new facility for indoor, but I didn't get to see it when I was there."

Gove projects to run the 600- and 800-meter distances for the Spartans. After a career of consistent performances and a ton of winning, Gove finally had that breakthrough year he was looking for. He posted the fourth fastest time in the nation this winter in the 600, and then competed at the New Balance National Indoor Championships in New York City in the 400-meter race.

"He's always wanted to push the limit and get to that elite status," Leominster High School boys' indoor track head coach Karen Marino said. "It was incredible to watch him bypass that and get to that level. He's worked for it, he earned it, and he's an incredible kid."

The coaches took notice of Gove when he stepped in the door at Leominster High, and his work ethic proved that even the unlikely is attainable, with a little extra effort.

"He was scoring points for us when he came in," Leominster boys' outdoor head coach Steve McNamara said. "I think we knew he was going to be special right away. For his work ethic, practices were never good enough; he always wanted to work harder."

Dandini will play for Division 2 Merrimack College next season, and projects to play as a tight end. His career at Leominster saw him play fullback and multiple linebacker positions on the football team.

"It's great to have everyone come out for this ceremony," Dandini said. "I'm appreciative to all of my friends and family. Signing my letter makes it kind of official now. It's awesome and it feels great.

"My dad pushed me to play Pop Warner even though I didn't want to at the time. He taught me to love and appreciate the game. Without him and mentors like coach (Dave) Palazzi) I wouldn't be the man I am today."

Tanner will play linebacker at Southern Connecticut State Universtiy next year, which is a Division 2 program in the Northeast 10. Tanner was under the radar heading into his senior season but worked his way into a multiple starting roles and earned himself a college scholarship in the process.

"My support system is just great," Tanner said. "I'm glad we got this opportunity. It's like our one moment to reflect on everything. It's just unbelievable."

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